LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD/Gray News) – Police in Texas are investigating a wrong-way crash that killed three people and injured four others Thursday night.
Officers in Lubbock were first notified of a wrong-way driver near 19th Street and Interstate 27 at about 7:23 p.m., police said.
While officers were responding, they were told about a crash involving the wrong-way driver and two other vehicles on the interstate.
Police arrived and found two of the three vehicles engulfed in flames, police said.
Investigators believe a car driven by 29-year-old Oscar Hernandez Sotelo Jr. with two children in the backseat was traveling south in the northbound lanes. Sotelo crashed into a northbound passenger car driven by 24-year-old Jairon Foster, according to Lubbock police.
Sotelo’s vehicle continued south after the first crash and struck a pickup truck in a head-on collision, police said.
Sotelo and a 2-year-old who was in one of the burning vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
An officer who pulled a 3-year-old from the same burning vehicle suffered minor injuries during the rescue, according to police.
The 3-year-old was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center with serious injuries.
Foster was taken to University Medical Center with serious injuries.
Foster’s passenger, 60-year-old Lakecha Collins, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the pickup truck, 28-year-old Alexis Wallace, and her 19-year-old passenger, Aaliyah Wallace, were both taken to Covenant Medical Center with serious injuries.
The Lubbock Police Department’s crash unit is investigating the deadly incident.
Police said initial information shows alcohol and speed might have been factors in the crash.
Investigators are asking witnesses to contact them by email.
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